


Infection

by orphan_account



Series: #PPWDFCFTBATK [3]
Category: Bon Appétit Test Kitchen (Web Series), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alex Delany - Freeform, Amiel Stanek - Freeform, Andy Baraghani - Freeform, Avengers Family, Avengers Feels, Avengers Movie Night, Bisexual Peter Parker, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Brad Leone - Freeform, Bucky Barnes & Peter Parker Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Bucky Barnes Has Panic Attacks, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes likes to Bake, Bucky loves Bon Appetit, Chris Morocco - Freeform, Christina Chaey - Freeform, Cinnamon Roll Peter Parker, Claire Saffitz - Freeform, Domestic Avengers, Everyone Is Gay, Family Bonding, Fix-It, Fluff, Gabby Melian, Gay Bucky Barnes, Gen, Light Angst, Molly Baz - Freeform, Peter Parker Has Panic Attacks, Peter and Bucky bond over panic attacks, Precious Peter Parker, Priya Krishna - Freeform, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Peter Parker, Rhoda Boone - Freeform, Rick Martinez - Freeform, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sohla El-Wayllyl, Trans Peter Parker, bon appetit test kitchen, everyone will love bon appetit, everyone would die for claire saffitz from the bon appetit test kitchen, healing after civil war, iwdfcftbatk, just a little bit, peter loves bon appetit, that's all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23080876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Spider-man saved Brad Leone.Bucky Barnes came back from Wakanda to complete the next part of his healing in New York.Peter Parker became friends with Shuri and Bucky Barnes and they bonded over a mutual love of Bon Appetit Youtube Videos.This is part 3 of the Peter Parker Would Die for Claire Saffitz from the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen seires. Now, the Avengers are coming back together in the compound/tower and everything is tense and awkward after the Civil War. What else can Peter, Shuri, and Bucky do but forcibly infect everyone with the Bon Appetit bug?
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Peter Parker, Clint Barton & Peter Parker, Happy Hogan/May Parker (Spider-Man), James "Bucky" Barnes & Avengers Team, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker & Shuri, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Sam Wilson, Peter Parker & Shuri, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Thor, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Wade Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Peter Parker & Vision
Series: #PPWDFCFTBATK [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616596
Comments: 25
Kudos: 120





	1. Welcome Home

“So… it’s pretty much gonna be a full house, huh?”

Mr. Stark scrubbed a hand up his face and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Thinning…” Peter murmured, carefully laying a new wire down. He looked up to see Mr. Stark’s reaction.

Mr. Stark pointed a finger and said, “Shut it.” Peter just chuckled and went back to the suit. He was just doing basic repairs after the shot, and Mr. Stark was working on some of Friday’s coding. After Peter had spent the day hanging out with MJ and Ned to celebrate them getting home from camp, he and Mr. Stark were in the lab at the compound.

The Avengers were moving back in tomorrow. Well, technically they already had. Nat moved in ages ago but had been in and out like a ghost. Peter hadn’t encountered her once at the compound since then. Vision had been back since nearly the same time, and the one time Peter had passed him, he had been too awkward to say anything. Clint and Scott had been in a few times to train since they had moved back to their homes, but Spider-Man wasn’t really a part of those sessions. Rhodey and Tony had trained him a little bit, but Scott and Clint's sessions were mostly with “team Cap,” though Vision had attended a few. 

He and Wanda had travelled around a bit since the Accords had been fixed and they were no longer on the run. Wanda was finally moving back in permanently, too. She had been more hesitant to come back. Sam Wilson was also moving in semi-permanently, though he would still be running some veterans’ programs in DC and New York, too. Rhodey stayed more in the city at the tower or commuting to DC. Tony and Pepper had plans for constructing a cabin over the next few months, but still lived full time at the Tower. The baby was due in February and they were hoping to move in after New Year’s. 

Peter was… hesitant about the team being back. Mr. Stark had assured him that he didn’t have to disclose his identity to anyone. Bucky knew, and Rhodey. But Vision and Steve had seen him as Peter and Spider-Man separately, and no one else had seen him as Peter at all. He asked Bucky about it the last time they hung out, and Bucky basically said the same thing as Mr. Stark:

“Well, I guess it’s just how much you want to share, kid. If you trust them, and you want them to know, then tell them.”

“But do you think it’s a good idea?”

“I don’t think it’s a bad one. It’s up to you. I do know one thing though.”

“What’s that?”

“Watching you try to keep the secret is going to be fun,” Bucky said with a laugh. Peter bumped him with his shoulder. They were standing at the counter, trying to make angel food cake in the kitchen of Peter’s area in the compound (which was the same as Rhodey’s and the Stark/Potts when they were there).

“Hey!” Peter defended himself, “I’ve kept it from Steve, so far.”

“Well, you can’t take full credit for that. Steve hasn’t figured it out because- and I say this with nothing but love -Steve is dumb as a fucking post. And I’ve run damage control for you like eight times, even before you found out that I know.”

“Oh,” Peter mumbled, blushing and looking down. He didn’t think he was being _that_ obvious.

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing fine. I’m just more perceptive than most. You have a fine chance of keeping it from most of the team. I’d say Natalia will be your biggest problem.”

Peter paused where he was mixing dry ingredients. “You mean Natasha?”

Bucky got a far away look for a moment, then rushed to correct himself.

“Yeah, Natasha. Natasha, I mean, she might even know already. I haven’t talked to her much since we got here but it wouldn’t surprise me. And she’d never out you, she just likes to know everything. And she’s good at it.”

“I guess she would be able to figure it out. I mean, Mr. Stark did.”

“Yeah. But hey, the rest of them? On par with Stevie, maybe slightly above in the realm of common sense, but not enough to be worried about.” Bucky finished separating the eggs and set up the hand mixer. 

“If you say so,” Peter agreed doubtfully. “I don’t necessarily hate the idea of the Avengers knowing, it’s just… a lot.”

“I know what you mean. Tell you what though,” Bucky mused, pointing the beaters at Peter as he attached them to the mixer.

“What?”

“If you can accept the risk, I’ll help you prank Wilson when he gets here. I bet you could get him good while he doesn’t know your identity,” Bucky said with a smirk. An evil smirk. Peter laughed.

“Sure. Sounds like a plan.” And then, they got on with the egg whites.

So Peter still didn’t know what he was going to do. He knew he wasn’t going to tell them right away. He at least wanted to help Bucky prank Wilson. Bucky seemed so excited about it.

Fixing his suit was mindless enough that it distracted him for a bit, but he finished in under an hour. 

“So what are you doing with Friday?” he asked, approaching Mr. Stark’s table.

“Just updating some minor privacy stuff, what Friday can say and to whom; replacing some responses. If she can’t answer, she shouldn’t say so because that will raise suspicion, so I’m putting in some potential responses. Hopefully this will help you for as long as you want to keep your identity a secret.” 

“Oh. That’s cool. Uh, thanks for doing that.” Peter went back and grabbed his stool to sit next to Mr. Stark.

“It’s nothing, just a little coding,” he said as he typed. “I’m also throwing in a little something for Barnes, it’s similar to your sensory overload programming but meant for when he has panic or anxiety attacks. Changes the lights to be dimmer and warmer, closes off the area he’s in except for people Barnes authorizes. I didn’t think that was necessary, but he wanted it. There’s also a recording Shuri made to play in the extremely rare occurrence that Rogers can’t get to his side.”

“I bet he’ll really appreciate it, even if it isn’t necessary,” Peter assured him.

“Yeah, that’s the idea,” Mr. Stark murmured. Peter smiled at him, but Mr. Stark was focused on the screen. 

“How much longer do you think it will take?”

“Why? You already done, huh?”

“Yeah. And maybe we could eat some ice cream!” That finally got a chuckle out of Mr. Stark.

“I’ll be done in five. Why don’t you order a pizza? Use your phone while I finish up on Friday.”

“Will do Mr. Stark!” He went to grab his phone.

“And no pineapple!”

“I’ll make sure yours has no pineapple on it, Mr. Stark. Mine, however, will be good.”

“Disgusting.”

* * *

It was the Tuesday after the Avengers more or less moved back in. Peter was currently in the city, at the tower. Ned and MJ were coming for a sleepover tonight and Shuri would be getting back in the morning. 

He hadn’t been back to the compound since Sunday morning, before everyone showed up. 

He didn’t want to say that Mr. Stark was avoiding having him around the ex-rogues, but his relief was evident when Peter said he was hoping to hang out with Ned and MJ some more and it would be easier to stay in the city for a few nights. And Mr. Stark hadn’t invited him back yet, even though technically he was living there for the summer. Kind of. A mix of the compound and the tower, really. He had a room in both places, nonetheless. 

And at the tower, he was currently setting up blankets and pillows for a Harry Potter marathon on the floor of the Stark-Potts’ living room area. His friends would be here in a few hours, but Peter didn’t have much to do. Mr. Stark had come to work in the lab with him this morning but Pepper had dragged him out around three for a meeting. Setting up took no time at all, so Peter wandered down to the common floor, taking the stairs because he was antsy. Bucky had been in and out of the tower, mostly waiting for Shuri to get back, so Peter thought maybe he could hang out with Bucky for a little while.

And where Bucky went, Steve wasn’t far behind. So it shouldn’t have been a big shock to Peter to find Steve sitting with Bucky on the couch in the common area. They were watching Ratatouille, which made Peter chuckle. The noise alerted the two men to his presence, and Steve actually startled a little bit, which gave Peter immense satisfaction. He liked that he was stealthy without trying. He used to be such a klutz without the powers, and now… well, if he was klutzy, it’s generally because he was doing something stupid. Normal walking was relatively silent.

“Jeez. Make some noise next time,” Steve said, though not unkindly. “Peter, right?”

“Uh, yep. I was just coming to see if Bucky was around.” Bucky smiled at him, and Peter felt a little more relaxed.

“Right here, punk. Wanna watch Ratatouille?”

“Uh, sure,” Peter answered, feeling awkward about Steve being there but not wanting to be impolite. He had been working on getting past his issues with Steve after all that Bucky had explained to him about Steve regretting it and understanding what he did wrong. “Aren’t you two a little old for Ratatouille?” he teased as he walked over to the free armchair. 

“No one is too old for this movie, Pete,” Bucky scoffed. Steve rolled his eyes over Bucky’s head at Peter. Peter just smiled, and though it was a little strained, it was a genuine smile. Bucky snuggled back into Steve’s side and Peter felt like he was being a little intrusive. But he also knew that was the anxiety, and that Bucky wouldn’t have asked him to stay if he didn’t want him here. Or at least, he repeated that in his head like a mantra for a few minutes.

After Remi and Linguini figure out the hair pulling system, Bucky asks aloud, “If the BA chef’s had animals controlling them, what would they be?”

“What?” Steve asks, snapping out of his stare at the screen, not having paid attention to the question. Turns out, he got really into the movie. Peter had teased, but really, Ratatouille was underrated. He loved it, too. But he had paid attention to Bucky’s question, so he answered. 

“Hmm… Claire would have something extra cute, I think. Like, huge eyes,” Peter considered.

“Maybe a chipmunk, because of the streak in her hair,” Bucky proposed. This made Peter think of a skunk, and he didn’t like that. Skunks were cute, but Claire probably smelled great, too good to compare her to a skunk. Is that a weird thought to have?

“Yeah, chipmunk is good,” he confirmed, shaking his head a little to clear thoughts of skunks. “Maybe a hedgehog! Because she can get kinda bristly but is always cute.”

“I like that. What about Brad?”

“Brad is like… hm. I have no idea. Something goofy.”

“Maybe a giraffe,” Bucky offered. 

“I think Rhoda would be an elephant because they’re known for being super good moms,” Peter said, remembering the little fact from biology class. 

Bucky countered, “Well it’s not what animal they would be, it’s what animal would stand on their head and control them in the kitchen. An elephant would crush Rhoda!” 

“But if it’s a miniature elephant-” Peter began, but was cut off.

“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Steve asked, looking baffled. The movie was paused and Peter and Bucky hadn’t even noticed.

“Stevie, I sent you like five of these videos. Are you telling me you haven’t watched any of them?” Bucky asked incredulously, leaning back to stare at Steve, who realized his mistake now that it was too late.

“I… well, I was going to, and then-”

“I can’t believe this! The disrespect!” Bucky groaned theatrically. Peter giggled a bit at that.

“Hey, Mr. Stark doesn’t watch them when I send them to him either,” he consoled. 

“Steve, I am so disappointed in you,” Bucky lamented, giving Steve a mostly-playful glare.

“I’ll watch them, Buck, promise. But what about Ratatouille? We were in the middle of it.”

“Oh, who’s rolling their eyes now, Stevie?” Bucky teased. “Yeah, I saw you, punk.”

“Okay, fine, it’s a great movie. I’ll watch those videos soon, promise.”

“Uh huh. Sure. Whatever you say, Stevie,” Bucky said, now rolling _his_ eyes and making Peter laugh. 

“We’ll get them, Bucky. Everyone loves Bon Appetit, they just have to give it a chance,” Peter said as Steve hit play.

“Right you are, Peter. We’ll get ‘em,” Bucky agreed, though it sounded a little more menacing coming from him. Steve looked concerned but Bucky and Peter just smiled and laughed a little bit more. 

After the movie, Peter got a text from Ned and MJ that they would both be there in about an hour. He said goodbye to Steve and Bucky, and was proud of himself for being considerably less weird around Steve. They hadn’t said much to each other, but at least Peter could look at his face and not feel like exploding, now. 

The marathon was a hit, except that all three fell asleep in a heap somewhere around the end of Prisoner of Azkaban. Tony and Pepper came in eventually and tucked them in as best as they could for the teens being on the ground leaning against the couch. Normally Tony would wake Peter up and send him to his bed, but he didn’t want to disturb anyone and by the look of things, the floor was the intended sleeping space. Oh well. If they got cricks in their necks, so be it. They’re teenagers, their bodies will recover. 

In the morning, despite sore backs and necks, all three were excited to see Shuri. Ned and MJ would be meeting her for the first time, and Peter was excited to have her back. Everyone was showing excitement in their own ways: Peter was bouncy and cheerful, Ned was nervous and jittery, and MJ was silent and fidgety. 

She would be arriving by private jet to the tower’s landing pad, so the trio awaited her there, along with Mr. Stark and Mrs. Potts to welcome both Shuri and T’challa. He would be visiting for a few weeks with Shuri, and joining the Avengers for some training and team (re)building exercises.

When the plane landed and the door opened, Shuri rushed off and threw her arms around Peter’s neck. 

“I’ve never been so happy to see a skinny white boy in my life,” she teased, squeezing him tight. He squeezed her too. It was really only a few weeks since they had hung out, but it felt longer. She stepped back to meet Ned and MJ.

“And who are these fine people? Introduce us, Parker, how rude of you,” Shuri said in an exaggeratedly royal tone. T’challa approached at the same time and nudged her with his shoulder.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” he said with a smile. “You must be Peter. I have heard a lot about you.” He held out his hand for Peter to shake. Peter took it, a little star struck to be shaking the actual king of Wakanda and the _Black Panther_ ’s hand. 

“Brother, do not interrupt. I want to meet Peter’s friends!” Shuri interrupted.

“It’s okay, Mr.- uh, Black Panther, sir, it’s fine. It’s nice to meet you,” Peter stammered out.

“T’challa will do just fine. It’s nice to meet you, too,” he replied.

“Shuri, T’challa, these are my best friends. Ned, and MJ,” he indicated. Ned was even more star struck than Peter had been when T’challa held out his hand, but after an agonizingly awkward ten seconds or so, he finally shook the man’s hand. T’challa then held his hand out to MJ, and Peter could see her firm grip in the shake. MJ seemed to enjoy the look of pleasant surprise on T’challa’s face. 

“I look forward to knowing you better, Mr. Parker,” T’challa said before ambling back to the Stark-Potts to greet them.

“And I’m Shuri,” Shuri jumped on the silence left in her brother’s wake. “I like to hug people, but I don’t want to impose on your personal space. Can I hug you Ned?” She asked, and Peter had to bite the inside of his cheek so he didn’t laugh. Ned was shell shocked, only just aware enough to nod, and then Shuri wrapped her skinny arms around him like she had Peter. Ned didn’t even move, which made Shuri laugh when she pulled away.

“And what about you, Michelle? I’ve heard that the name MJ is reserved for friends.” 

MJ looked surprised now, and Peter and Ned watched in awe as she allowed Shuri to hug her and even hugged her back. She was _blushing_ , Peter realized, and he could not believe his ears when she said quietly with a shy smile, “MJ is alright. It’s nice to meet you.” Ned elbowed him in the rib and Peter elbowed him back, hoping to communicate that they were definitely seeing the same thing.

“And you, as well. I absolutely love your shirt,” Shuri complimented. MJ was wearing a Bon Appetit shirt under her usual flannel, which Ned and Peter had got her for her birthday.

MJ smiled wider now, regaining some of her usual confidence. “Thanks! These losers got it for my birthday.”

“It’s wonderful. Now, I don’t know how much time the two of you will be spending with Peter and I actually _at_ the compound, but I have some plans, some ideas, that I think would be quite helpful in the team rebuilding of the Avengers.”

“I thought you were here to continue with Bucky’s treatment?” Peter asked. They all started walking back inside.

“Oh, I am. And that is first priority. But Bucky will agree with me, I’m sure. He’s been trying to get Steve hooked on Bon Appetit for forever.”

“I like where this plan is going,” MJ interjected. Ned nodded with a smile and looked to be less nervous than before. Peter smiled and laughed. This was going to be fun.


	2. Sam Wilson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the quest to infect the Avengers with the BA bug, Peter and Bucky have a little fun messing with a certain bird-themed hero. Shuri helps 😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! so sorry for such a long wait. I'll be adding to all my stories and answering comments throughout this week, so keep an eye out!

Sam Wilson looked around his new room. It was pretty bare at the moment, but he wasn't concerned. His apartment in DC was still his 'home base' in his perspective, though Director Fury wouldn't be so happy to hear that. Dude needed to find a better way to destress. In Sam's short interaction with the guy, he was way too pent up. As an actual counselor, Sam was concerned. But as a sort of freelance employee or associate, Sam was just exasperated.

Anyway, now that the belongings he had brought with him were officially put away, Sam didn't really have anything to do. The team decided on Thursdays and Fridays for doing most of their "reconstructive bonding," so that those with families or other commitments had the beginning of the week and the weekends free. Currently it was Wednesday night. Steve had invited him to a movie night with him and Barnes, though Barnes had seemed... off. He wasn't rude or anything, just had a weird look on his face. Sam hadn’t really warmed up to Barnes, but he trusted that the guy at least wasn’t dangerous anymore. 

Not in a Winter Soldier kind of way, anyway. That look on his face… something was up. But Steve was still getting settled after the conflict with Stark, and Bucky was still on edge despite all the progress he had been making in recovery. So Sam decided to ignore his suspicion and take Steve’s offer of a movie. He just hoped he wouldn’t be third wheeling. 

* * *

He was _definitely_ third wheeling. What the hell, Steve? Steve and Barnes were cuddled up on the right side end of the couch, Barnes nearly lying sideways encircled in Steve’s arms, with his feet out towards Sam.

He couldn’t be sure, but Sam would swear that Barnes’ nasty bare feet were getting closer to Sam’s thigh every few minutes. He tried to discreetly scoot away, because if Barnes _was_ messing with him, Sam would never give him the satisfaction. Unfortunately, Sam was already pressed up against the arm of the chair. He tried not to make his repeated glances down to check on the feet so obvious.

About thirty minutes into the movie, Sam almost wished that _he_ was the one cuddled up to Steve. The movie they were watching was scary as fuck, and he has no idea why they picked it. And he was a goddamn veteran and super hero, he shouldn’t be this scared. Granted, there weren’t menacing musical scores or supernaturally spooky beings on any of his secret missions.

Just as the protagonist was trying to escape the basement of the shitty run-down house in the country (because it was always far away from people, wasn’t it?), the music was building and Sam tried to mentally prepare for whatever jump-scare was coming.

But in the dark common room, lit only by the TV screen, nothing could have prepared him for three simultaneous things to happen: one, the expected jump-scare on screen, when the ghost of the old caretaker attacked the protagonist, who screamed loudly. Two, Barnes’ grubby feet shot out in time with the jump scare, pushing into Sam’s thighs, which Sam conveniently didn’t think about as feet, but rather a creepy undead hand grabbing his leg. And three, a voice right next to his left ear, a little above, inquiring, “What’cha doooooin’?”

With a very undignified shout, Sam violently jumped, up to get away from the feet, and right to get away from the voice. Unfortunately, this landed him right on top of Barnes and Steve. Steve gave his own shout, but Barnes simply pushed him up and over the back of the couch, where he landed on the floor with a thud. It was still dark in the common room, so when a shadow-y, upside down figure _walked_ on the _ceiling_ toward him, Sam didn’t hesitate to kick out at it, cursing all the while. But the figure dodged the kicks, and Sam just felt stupid, sitting on his butt kicking out at this fucking, well, ghost or something-

“What the FUCK! Get away, fucking, shit, Steve!”

“Whoa! Whoa, I’m so sorry, Mr. Falcon, uh, Sir! I was just gonna see if you were alright, you fell over the back of the couch, the shadow figure said, reaching out for him. The lights flicked on then, and Steve was standing at the light switch while Bucky looked on from the couch, his face emotionless. But there was a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. 

Sam breathed heavily a few times, and then looked back in front of him. Standing on the ceiling, upside down, was the Spider-guy from the airport. 

“What-” Sam gasped, sucking in more air, “-the fuck?”

“Hey, Spider-Man,” Bucky said dryly. 

“Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt, and uh, scare you, Mr. Falcon, sir.”

Steve paused the movie and looked back over at Sam and chuckled.

“He did get you pretty good, Sam.” 

The Spider-guy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and waved a little. Sam got up off the ground, feeling stupid. 

“So, you’re the Spider… guy.”

“Yeah, uh, sorry about webbing you up that one time…”

“Hmph,” Sam grunted in response. He noticed that Bucky was smirking.

“Well, Mr. Falcon, and uh, Mr. Rogers, and Bu- Mr. Barnes, I was just wondering if any of you have seen Peter? He was supposed to be here tonight to help me with the suit, but he wasn’t in the lab or in his room.”

“We haven’t seen him, Spider-Man. But he usually stays in Stark’s area, so maybe try looking there?” Steve offered.

“Good idea!” Spider-Man responded brightly. He was way too chipper, Sam decided. “I bet I can sneak up on him too, give him a good scare!”

Bucky laughed, and Steve got his mother-hen look on. “Careful, I don’t know how much of a scare that kid could handle.”

“Who’s Peter?” Sam asked, realizing he didn’t know who they were talking about. 

“Stark’s ward,” Bucky answered slyly. Spider-Man made a _psh_ sound and corrected him.

“He’s Mr. Stark’s _intern_. I met him a while ago, and he’s pretty smart, he helps with the tech in my suit,” Spider-Man chirped. 

“So what’s your name, then?” Sam asked.

“Uh…”

“He keeps his identity a secret, Sam,” Steve scolded gently.

“Hmph,” Sam grunted again. He knew that Spider-guy was a decent dude, a hero, at that, but it’s hard to trust someone intent on keeping their identity a secret among allies.

“Well, I’ll get out of your hair-or, leave you be, I suppose,” Spider-guy started, nodding to Sam as he corrected himself. Sam was flabbergasted. Was this damn- _kid_ , for crying out loud, he didn’t sound very old-calling him bald?

Bucky apparently thought so because he laughed, and Sam just huffed as he walked back to his seat, Steve chuckling and turning the lights back off. Spider-Man crawled down the hall, not bothering to walk like a normal person. 

“Everyone ready?” Steve asked, holding up the remote. 

“Lemme get comfortable,” Barnes responded, wiggling his whole body a ridiculous amount. Sam rolled his eyes, but reacted when Bucky’s wiggling put his feet up into Sam’s chest.

“Feet to yourself, Barnes,” he groused, pushing him away.

“Just trying to-” he kicked Sam again, making Sam growl, “get- ugh,” he stretched out, and Sam thought he might explode, “ah! Comfy. Perfect. Go ahead, Stevie.” Barnes was in his exact same position as before, with his feet just barely not touching Sam. Sam sighed. Why did he join them?

Steve just chuckled and hit play. Sam thought about their encounter with the Spider-guy. He had babbled a lot back in Germany, but his voice sounded different then. Weird.

After another fifteen minutes of the movie, which included a cringe-worthy sex scene and two more jump-scares, Barnes’ feet were ever so slightly touching Sam’s thighs. He still didn’t want to let Barnes know how much he was getting to him, though. So he ignored it. There was an intense chase scene on the screen when the lights flicked on, causing Sam to jump. God, that’s embarrassing. He didn’t even look, but he could _feel_ Barnes smirking at him.

“Hey, Bucky, Steve- uh, hi, uh, sorry, Mr…” he trailed off.

“Sam Wilson,” Steve filled in for him. “Sam, this is Peter,” he added.

“Hey, bud,” Bucky said, sounding friendly. Now _that_ was weird. “You seen Spidey tonight? He was looking for ya.”

“Huh, no I haven’t. I was actually looking for him. When did you see him?” The kid seemed shy in general, but he was clearly comfortable with Bucky. What was up with that?

“About 15 minutes ago,” Steve answered. “Think he went up to Tony’s area to look for you.” 

“Okay! I’ll go see if he’s still there. Although we were supposed to work on the suit, so maybe he went to the lab. I’ll check there if he’s not in Mr. Stark’s wing. Then I can-” 

“Easy, Pete. One place at a time,” Bucky said with a chuckle. Peter blushed, and nodded. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry for interrupting!”

“No worries, kid,” Sam spoke, finally. The kid startled a little, getting nervous again. 

“Uh, yeah. Thanks. I mean, well, I’ll go now, Mr. Wilson! No, um, no worries,” the kid stuttered. Geez. How this kid could work with Stark, of all people, was a mystery. As he left, Sam thought about it a little more. 

“Isn’t he kind of young to intern for Stark?”

“Yeah, but he’s like twice as smart, though, so Stark keeps him around,” Bucky responded with a smirk.

“I’d say Tony keeps him around for more than his brains,” Steve added. “Tony practically acts like the kid’s dad.”

“If they’re so close, why’s he call him Mr. Stark?”

“Kid’s weird like that. Took him weeks to call me ‘Bucky’ instead of ‘Mr. Barnes, sir’,” Barnes said with a chuckle.

“He still can’t seem to decide what to call me. I think he just avoids addressing me at all,” Steve added, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t think he likes me much.” This confused Sam.

“The kid’s like twelve! What twelve-year-old doesn’t like Captain America?”

“Apparently, him,” Steve answered. “And I think he’s fifteen.”

“Fifteen?!” Sam repeated. Sheesh.

“He’s pretty cool though. Remind me to show you Steve’s PSAs some day, bird-boy,” Barnes joked. Sam just shook his head. Steve turned off the lights and hit play on their movie again. 

Five minutes later, the hall door banged open and an out of breath Spider-Man jogged in, scaring Sam once again. He sighed, getting more annoyed by the minute. Without even waiting for the lights to be turned on, or the movie to be paused, Spidey leaned over the back of the couch.

“Where’s Peter?” he panted. “Friday said he was with you guys!”

“He just left,” Sam said, trying not to grit his teeth together. Bucky’s toes were touching his thighs again. 

“Oh, okay. Do you know where he went?”

“He went to look for you,” Steve answered, sounding just a little impatient. “Up on Tony’s floor, I believe.” 

“Great, uh, sorry again!” he said cheerfully, rushing out. 

Sam shifted, causing Bucky to move his toes off of him. Thank God. The three men focused back on the movie, though it was significantly less scary now that there had been so many interruptions. It started to rain outside, though, and the mood adjusted after a few minutes. There was some thunder and a few flashes of lightning, and things were rightfully suspenseful again.

The music built up again, and Sam braced himself for the next jump scare. Rain was pounding on the full length windows behind the TV. The ghost-thing had killed two of the protagonist’s friends and now they were stalking the protagonist together. 

A sliver of light appeared from down the hall, but none of the men noticed. Peter came and poked his head around the corner, just in time to yelp loudly as the monsters on screen found the hiding protagonist, who, once again, screamed loudly. Bucky pushed up out of Steve’s arms to look and find Peter on the floor, panting. He laughed and Peter frowned.

“No need to be mean,” he grumbled.

“Well, be more careful, kid,” Bucky said gleefully. 

“I’m still looking for Spider-Man. I think he took my phone,” Peter complained, crossing his arms without getting up. Seriously, how did Stark even find this kid? 

“How do you guys keep missing each other?” Sam interrogated. “This is getting ridiculous.” The kid started rambling and Steve paused the movie again.

“I don’t know, I waited upstairs for a bit, then checked the lab, but I must have left my phone in Tony’s kitchen and when Spider-Man wasn’t in the lab, I went back upstairs, and then I couldn’t find my phone, but I assumed I left it in the lab, so I went back and checked, and when it wasn’t there I came back here, and-”

“Just sit your ass down, Peter, and wait for Spider-Man to come looking for you!” Barnes said sharply. “This is insane, you guys gotta find a better way to communicate and meet up.”

“Sorry, Bucky,” the kid lamented. 

“Come sit, between me and Sam.”

“Okie-doke.” _Okie-doke?_ What even? The kid walked around and sat down, a little close for Sam’s liking, but with Bucky sitting goddamn-sideways it was gonna be a close fit. Four people on a couch was too much to begin with. Sam was about to be done with this whole night, but he knew how happy Steve was for him and Bucky to spend any time together. Even if Bucky was being insufferable. So Sam settled in, hoping that the teenage chaos was over and they could watch the movie. At least Barnes couldn’t poke Sam’s legs with his toes now.

Barnes instantly proved him wrong, slinging both of his legs right over Peter’s lap, toes poking a little bit into Sam’s thighs. 

“Really?” Sam asked aloud. Was Barnes serious right now?

“Peter doesn’t mind, right, Pete?” Barnes responded, smirking in the dark.

“Not at all!” the kid responded brightly. The lights on the TV illuminated his toothy smile. Steve chuckled. Sam felt the rage bubbling under his skin, and tried his best to keep a lid on it. He breathed slowly. Barnes chuckled and the kid fucking _giggled_.

Steve played the movie. There was still an hour or so left. About thirty minutes passed, with a few jumps and some suspense. Peter was actually gripping Barnes’ shins and kept glancing toward Barnes. He was a bit of a scaredy cat, Sam noticed. 

At one point, Barnes checked his watch. And five minutes later, Peter checked his. Did they have somewhere to be? Jesus. Sam just wanted to go to bed at this point. 

The movie was building up to the big climax by now, but Sam was hardly paying attention. Barnes’ toes were still on his thigh and Peter fidgeted too much. The rain was picking up outside as the music built, with the thumping of a bass drum getting quicker and quicker and-

BOOM! The monster caught the girl and she screamed, lights flashed on screen, something dropped from the ceiling into Peter’s lap, lightning struck outside and illuminated the room, casting a shadow above them in the shape of- 

“AHHHHHH!” the figure shouted, swooping down to land in front of them. Steve yelped and Sam shouted, and they both tried to jump backwards, which unfortunately pushed into the back of the couch and provided momentum for the whole group to tip backwards, landing with a thud. Everyone shouted, the figure in front of them laughed maniacally with the sounds of screams and intense music behind them from the TV, and unnoticed by all, a figure entered from the hallway and headed to the light switch. 

The shouting and laughing died down when the lights flicked on. The carnage from the fight on screen continued for a moment when a voice behind the couch said, “Friday, pause.”

Tony stood there, looking at the scene before him. Sam finally looked up to see Spider-Man in front of the couch, the figure from above. Peter was holding his phone out as if he was taking a picture. That must’ve been what dropped into his lap. He quickly put it in his pocket, which was difficult, what with his position laying on an upturned couch.

Sam was absolutely done. He pulled himself to his feet and took in the scene once again. Peter and Steve were picking up the couch, Bucky was standing with his arms crossed next to Spider-guy, smirking. Spider-guy was laughing quietly, shoulders shaking. Stark was looking between Spider-guy and Peter, one eyebrow raised and frowning.

“What the actual fuck is going on in here?” Stark finally asked. Peter gasped and covered his ears, making Barnes roll his eyes.

“Oh can it, Pete,” Tony said. “What have you and… Spider-Man been up to?” 

“Oh, nothing. We just kept missing each other so I joined the guys for a scary movie to wait and he jumped out and scared us,” Peter answered. 

“It was way too easy,” Spider-Man said, laughing again. Tony looked even more surprised when Spider-Man spoke. He shook his head as if to clear it. 

“Well, you should both be in bed by now. Get going.” 

“I’m pretty tired, I’ll see everyone tomorrow,” Spider-Man agreed, heading out with a wave and a- did his mask just _wink?_

Peter spoke up now. “Mr. Stark… I’m pretty scared after all that, can’t we watch something nice and not scary before going to bed?” The kid had fucking _puppy dog eyes_ and looked imploringly to Stark. Stark scrubbed a hand up his face and through his hair.

“Thin-” Peter started, but Stark interrupted him.

“Ah! Shut it! Just- do, I- I don’t even want to know. Just, do whatever you need to do. Go to bed soon.”

Peter smiled brightly and skipped over to give Stark a hug. “Thanks, Mr. Stark! Wanna join us?” 

“Sorry, Pete, that’s an emphatic no. Don’t bother Team USA too much in here, okay? Goodnight,” Stark responded, hugging him back.

“Night!” 

Peter moved back to the couch with Bucky.

“Come on guys! Let’s watch something sweet, keep the nightmares away,” Peter said, seeming way too calm and… satisfied after that whole mess.

“I think I’m gonna hit the hay, actually,” Sam declined. He was well and truly done with today.

“Aw, come on, Sam,” Bucky implored. “You don’t wanna hang out with us? And Steve?” Sam looked over to Steve who looked equally exasperated to be included in this. 

“Bucky-” he began, pausing to collect his thoughts.

“Come on, Stevie. None of us wants nightmares, right? The normal, non-PTSD kind, anyway. A few happy videos? It will help,” Bucky said, practically waggling his eyebrows. Gross.

“Fine,” Steve relented. “But we all should go to bed soon, we have a big day tomorrow,” he finished, coming back to sit down, this time on the other side of Peter in Sam’s old seat. 

“We do?” Peter asked innocently. Too innocently. Sam was so done.

“Come on, Sam. Don’t be a downer,” Steve teased. Sam knew he was teasing but he still looked ever so slightly worried. Jesus. The things Sam did for him.

“Fine.” He went to join them as Peter cheered quietly. He reluctantly sat down on Barnes’ right side. “What are we watching?”

“Oh, Mr. Wilson, you’re gonna love it!” Peter said excitedly. “Friday, play my BA favorites youtube playlist.”

“BA?” Sam inquired. A youtube video appeared on screen. Something about making pickles?

“Just watch, bird-man,” Barnes remarked, nudging him with his shoulder. Sam leaned away, making Bucky smirk even more. Jesus. This had better be good, he thought as the video began.

* * *

 **_In the_ ** _**Morning**_

“Wilson!” Fury barked. “Am I boring you?” Wanda nudged his arm from his right side, and Sam looked up, tapping his bluetooth and putting his phone away. 

“Uh, no sir. It was an urgent message from DC. All good now,” Sam answered. 

“Nothing you have to take care of?” Fury persisted.

“Nope, all taken care of.”

Fury stared him down and Sam kept on his best serious face. Fury finally moved on and continued talking about the new terms of the accords and the stuff that SHIELD was expecting from these group trainings. A few seats down, Spiderman shook silently, as if he were laughing. Dumb kid. What was he getting at, scaring people and acting a fool with some teenage intern? Why was he even here? It’s not like he’s an actual Avenger.

He flipped his phone back up in his lap and closed down the Gourmet Makes video he had been watching. He’ll get to it after this dumb meeting was over. Just then, Wanda sneakily slipped a piece of paper into his lap. Sam waited for Fury to focus on Tony for a second, who was monumentally irritated to have Fury at the compound and was having a hard time hiding it. 

He opened up the slip of paper to read: _I like those videos too! way better than a lecture from professor eyepatch_

Sam smiled at Wanda and put the paper in his pocket. As Fury and Stark bickered, Sam sighed, eagerly awaiting the next break. He was dying to know if Claire could get the cookie right for gourmet Twix. And he had all the videos from Brad’s trip to Hawaii in his queue. Soon, he thought.


	3. Not a Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An update of sorts.

Hey yall.

So, a lot of stuff has gone down with BA recently. This fic is not really the place to address that, though I don't feel it's entirely appropriate to just ignore those events for the sake of a comfortable fluffy fic, nor do i think it's appropriate to delve deep into the issues at hand as part of a fictional story for fun, when there are real world effects happening right now.

I support all the test kitchen staff withholding their work and appearances until tangible change is enacted and reparations made to the staff of color who have been underpaid or mistreated. I absolutely condemn Rapo's use of brown face, and even if it was in the past, that image is NOT something that should be connected to the leadership of BA. I am glad he resigned and appreciate his statement when doing so, but there is much more to be done within BA and Condenast. 

Above all, this fic is about marvel characters. BA is a fun aspect to add into the marvel universe, but this isnt a BA fic. I'm still writing chapters and more parts to the series, but for now, i hope everyone will take some time to reflect on things and help those in need. amplify voices who have been denied or shot down. speak up when you can or should. listen to Black and all BIPOC experiences.

Black Lives Matter.

Equality and equity are essential.

We must hold each other accountable in dismantling systems of privilege and white supremacy.

Black chefs, producers, tech team, and editors should be a bigger part of BA and equally compensated for their work. Black ideas and concepts for videos should be enthusiastically welcomed, not shot down or restricted to cater to what may be a predominantly white audience.

People of color, especially women of color, at BA should be compensated equally for their time, work, and appearances in any videos as their white counterparts.

Here is a link to BA's official statement on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBQsJPtn4g4/?igshid=1kz4fcsbdwwk9

This fic is still in progress and you can expect more fluff and fun in the future. But for now, try and take some time to learn and support BIPOC. this is a link to a tumblr post that has a couple compilations of useful BLM info for donating, educating, and supporting in non-monetary ways: https://evildead2.tumblr.com/post/620529706311237632/the-most-comprehensive-link-to-donations

One more link: https://www.theokraproject.com/

this is a project that sohla shared, by Black trans folks to help Black trans folks in the food world!

please feel free to share any other important resources you think should be shared in the comments. love each other and amplify Black voices and all BIPOC voices too.

I saw a fun little illustration on insta about the new "live laugh love"- stay safe, wash your hands, dismantle white supremacy. love you guys and thanks for sticking with my fic! I hope despite everything going on right now, that any lgbtq+ readers are able to have some happy pride month experiences. New chapter up by Sunday, hopefully. if you have concerns, dont be afraid to speak them here.


	4. Bruce Banner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Bruce's turn to get infected! Featuring some mentions for other great food channels that everyone should check out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall i am so sorry for how late this is. it underwent some major changes from what it was originally intended to be. now, im sorry, get ready for a long ass note:  
> Alright, full disclosure- i am white, and the last thing I want is to be insensitive or perpetuate racism and prejudice. The other last thing i want is to tokenize Black people (but of course, that's really just a part of the first thing). so, i wrote this chapter with BA's new initiatives and the viewer's demands in mind: more Black creators, BIPOC in leadership positions, equal and equitable pay, etc. This fic is not really the place to get into the internal workings of BA, so we're just focusing on the marvel character's perspectives. As i wrote earlier chapters and installments in the series, i imagined this taking place earlier in BA's internet fame. but seeing as their issues with racism should have been addressed long ago (and for that matter, not allowed to begin with), i figured i would mess with the timeline some. so in this universe, BA had a similar set of events and subsequent demands. i picture this stuff as some of the "new normal" after BA handles their shit, though i hope it also is clear that it isnt a perfect utopian future where all the work is already done. again, this is just the marvel character's limited perspective on things, so feel free to assume that pay reparations happened and everyone is getting fairly compensated at this version of BA. I featured a wakandan chef, not as a token black chef, but to give Shuri a bit more connection to the BA obsession through her own homesickness and favorite foods, as it's mostly been about Peter and Claire/GM so far! last but not least, i googled a wakandan name generator because i did not think it was appropriate for me to try and make one up. the first and last names of the chef are generated by a website. also peep their pronouns cause in this house nonbinary people are nombinary ✌🏼🏳️🌈

Peter burst into the lab at lightning speed, Shuri at his heels, both screaming unintelligibly. Bruce loved them both, but the start they gave him made his heart skip a beat and every time that happened, fear sliced through him like a knife. Fear wasn’t much different than anger, in some aspects; at least the chemicals in his brain didn’t seem to think so. Bruce took some deep breaths and clenched his fist.

Tony noticed, because he paid attention to Bruce. Peter usually did, too, he was sweet as could be, but he sometimes got overly excited. Tony didn’t touch Bruce as he passed him to get to the kids, who were now babbling excitedly. Bruce focused on Tony’s words to try and calm down. Without letting on to Bruce’s situation (because then the kids would feel bad, and Bruce never wanted that) Tony managed to calm them down and get them to speak with quieter voices and at a normal speed. Bruce scribbled something on the tablet to make it look like he had just been paying attention to his work before he turned to join the conversation. Or at least, actively listen.

“Sohla got a show!!” 

“Her very own show, this is the best day of my life.” Peter actually made a show of fanning his face, which made Bruce chuckle.

“Sohla is the one with tattoo sleeves, right?”

“Yeah, Mr. Stark just wait, her show is gonna be fantastic, she has to make a dish but do it as outlandishly as possible and have people guess what it is…” Peter begins explaining.

“So she can make it look different, and maybe have some different ingredients too,” Shuri continues, “But the goal is to make something that is super unconventional but it still can be recognized.”

“There’s no real winning or losing, she can’t be graded the same was as Chris’s show-”

Tony interrupted to ask, “Wait, who’s Chris?”

“Reverse engineering,” Peter answered, and Tony nodded. Peter kept going, “So there’s no grade and it’s not like Gourmet makes where it can really be accurate or not, it’s more like an experiment, like can she make a good unconventional dish that the other chefs recognize, and how different can it be from the classic version of the recipe?”

“The idea started with a different video where she made dessert carbonara.” Shuri was just as into this as Peter, clearly. The dessert carbonara actually did intrigue Bruce a bit; he wondered how that would work.

“Well I guess I’m not getting out of watching the new show, huh?” Tony half teased, half griped. Finally he redirected his attention to Bruce. His eyebrows were raised, out of view of Peter and Shuri. Bruce smiled to let him know he was fine, and Tony came over and wrapped an arm around him. The physical contact wasn’t always welcome when he felt on edge, but it was helpful and pleasant when he was coming down.

“Have you two infected Bruce with your obsession yet?” he asked, squeezing Bruce’s shoulder.

Peter and Shuri’s faces lit even _more_ if that was possible. They immediately declared movie night and put a hold on anything Bruce had been working on (a modified super-soldier version of anti-anxiety meds, which were mostly done and Bucky insisted he didn’t need).Bruce thought they’d be good to have on hand; sometimes Steve had trouble with anxiety too, and if their counselors and psychiatrists ever thought that combination treatment could help, well, Bruce would be prepared. He felt bad putting the project on hold but acknowledged he had been working on it near-constantly for weeks now and should probably take a break. Sometimes he could get as bad as Tony with the overworking, though he was reluctant to admit it.

After the video (which was forty minutes long!) Bruce was intrigued and wanted to see more. Sohla was clearly very intelligent and creative and an amazing chef. After a few more videos, mostly ones where Sohla helped others, Bruce was disappointed not to find any more that heavily featured her.

“Are there no more with her?”

“Right now, no, just one’s with her kind of in the background,” Shuri answered. “They have been making a lot of changes recently to promote more leadership and oversight from people of color, and I think Sohla is pretty busy. But now that she has this show, we should hopefully see more of her as a lead, not just helping out.”

“And they hired some new chefs too, and have put out some more videos!”

Bruce nodded, and looked up at the screen on the list of recommended videos. A few other Bon Appetit, some with names or faces he recognized simply from being around Peter. But last on the list was one from another channel.

“You suck at cooking? Not a very encouraging title, huh?” he mused. Peter looked up at the screen then, also confused.

“Oh, Peter, you will love this,” Shuri said, clapping her hands quickly.

The group then proceeded to watch what Bruce figured must be at least half of the Youtube food channels in existence. It actually was really fun. Bruce particularly enjoyed You Suck At Cooking (which was unreasonably, chaotically hilarious) and Binging with Babish, which interested him because of the movies and TV aspect. Peter and Shuri peppered in a few more BA videos, which were also interesting. 

Bruce didn’t really like watching the tougher Gourmet Makes videos; the frustration and breakdowns that Claire experienced were a little too real for him. But he actually was really inspired to try some new food after watching; he had of course eaten a lot of Indian and other south-Asian cuisine in his travels, but there were some newer videos of African dishes that he had never heard of, and some South American foods that he vaguely knew about or recognized from another form in different areas. A few of the Black chefs even did Black-specific or Black-specialized recipes from the American south and Appalachia, which Bruce hadn’t really thought about before. He hadn’t realized that race had such an influence on food even _within_ a single region, especially in America. He resolved to do some research later that night just to educate himself more on the topic.

Peter and Shuri eventually fell asleep, but Tony kept queuing videos, albeit at half volume with subtitles. Eventually Bruce commented on it.

“They really got you hooked on this stuff, huh, Tones?” Tony smiled at him, and reached around Shuri’s head to shove Bruce’s head playfully. Peter was tucked under Tony’s arm and Shuri was between Peter and Bruce, leaning her shoulder ever so slightly into his. It made him feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside, despite the constant anxiety. She trusted him and was comfortable with him. So was Peter. And Tony.

“You okay? What happened earlier?” Tony asked gently.

“Oh, I’m okay. They just startled me when they ran in and, well, the jump scare is never a good experience for me. It’s why I sit out scary movies and check trigger websites for most of the movies we watch,” Bruce explains a little sheepishly. He isn’t ashamed or embarrassed, but it’s not the easiest thing to talk about.

“Hm. I figured it was something like that. I’ll have Friday warn us from now on,” he states. 

“Thanks, Tony.”

“Anytime, Brucie Bear.”

* * *

“Oh my god!” Shuri exlaimed, grabbing onto Bruce’s arm as they walked back to the common area from the lab a few days later. She was looking at something on her phone. “Oh my god!!”

Bruce focused on his breathing as he responded, trying to keep things calm. “What is it? Is something happening?”

“No, no, I’m sorry Bruce. I didn’t mean to frighten you. But Bon Appetit just posted a new video and they hired a new editor and video host! And I know them!”

“Wow! How do you know them?” Bruce engaged, excited on Shuri’s behalf and also excited to see the new content for himself. They had just had a fairly grueling day or work; nothing overly difficult, just very tedious and important not to mess up, as it had to do with the overlap between neurons and artificial intelligence to work on the memory-emotion modification with Barnes’ experimental therapy. Bruce was looking forward to a relaxing night.

“I went to school with them. Chassira Thambalka. We were classmates until we were thirteen, I think? Then they studied culinary arts while I went on with the sciences. We still saw each other for some general education things but haven’t really spoken much since we were younger. We used to be fairly close,” Shuri’s tone just barely dipped into sadness, but she brightened back up almost immediately.

“Ah,” Bruce answered, trying to show that he kind of heard what she hadn’t said; it sounded like she missed her friend, and maybe home in general. “Well, how cool that you know them! What are they making?”

“Pilau and lamb! Oh that’s one of my favorites.” Bruce had an idea then.

“Let’s make it,” he suggested.

“Really?” Shuri asked. “I didn’t know you cooked,” she teased.

“Well I’m not great, but I like to learn new things,” Bruce responded playfully. “Friday, do we have any of the ingredients the video calls for? How long would it take to have anything missing ordered?” 

“The communal kitchen has 67% of the necessary ingredients, and the Stark wing has some additional spices not located in the communal kitchen. The remaining groceries can be here in under half an hour from the nearest store, though might I suggest ordering from _this_ store instead?” As Friday spoke, a map popped up on a holo-screen as they walked, and showed two dots, the emphasized one being slightly farther away from the compound. As they entered the common area and sat down, Friday continued, “It will take about 55-65 minutes for groceries to arrive from this store by normal delivery times, but with my new Support Black Business protocols, this would be a great location to order from.”

“Sounds good to me, Banner,” Shuri agreed.

“Alright, Friday, place the order.”

“Of course, Dr. Banner. Let me know if I can be of any more assistance.” Bruce would swear he could hear Friday smile, sometimes.

Shuri and Bruce sat down to watch the video through, twice. Once just to watch and the second time to take notes. They were scientists, after all! 

Chassira was tall, skinny like Shuri, with hair almost buzzed down to their scalp and very dark skin, peppered with some lighter spots on their neck and chin that looked like vitiligo, if Bruce could guess. They cooked with confidence in their movements that showed just how experienced they must be. Shuri and Bruce wrote down the recipe with amounts and notes on technique. Chassira was fantastic, explaining the dish so well that Bruce felt it was very doable, despite the complexity.

They collected their ingredients from Tony’s kitchen and returned in time for the delivery, giving a very large tip to the driver. About five minutes in, Bucky actually wandered in and asked to help. The three worked together like that for a while, and eventually, they had their dinner. 

It probably wasn’t as good as Chassira’s, but Bruce was pretty proud of it. They had scaled it up because they knew plenty of enhanced people would find themselves munching on it eventually, or eating leftovers. Now they had a huge amount of food ready. Steve was at counseling tonight, as was Wanda, so they simply saved a few plates, but Tony and Peter were notified to come in from the labs. Shuri also cheerfully went to find her brother; she was really excited to show him the meal. Sam came after a text from Bucky, and Natasha followed behind and with her came an unexpected guest: Scott Lang. He was here for some of the team building taking place tomorrow, so he arrived tonight. He was excited to join in on the fun, anyway.

“Wow,” T’Challa remarked after his first bite. “I don’t think I appreciated how homesick I was until that bite. Good job, little sister. And you, Dr. Banner,” he praised.

“Bucky helped,” Shuri added, shoulder checking him gently.

“Makes me miss it too,” he responded to T’Challa, who smiled knowingly. The dinner was lovely and even Tony was pleasant to Sam and Bucky. Peter was lively and cheerful, bantering with Shuri and telling plenty of bad jokes. It was a really good night, despite some of the rockiness that had persisted in the new team building efforts. By the end of the meal, Shuri planned to call her friend later to catch up and tell her about it.

At first he had thought the obsession was a little weird, but maybe now he understood Shuri and Peter’s affection for these videos. He didn’t feel nervous almost all night. Cooking had calmed him and sharing a meal just lifted his spirits. At the end of the night, Shuri hugged him and thanked him for trying that with her. 

“I had fun, we should cook big team meals like that more often,” Bruce responds.

“I think you’re right, Dr. Banner. We definitely should,” Shuri agreed. 

Bruce did some reading and research until bed. As he settled in for the night, he reflected on all the positivity of the evening and his new, deepened appreciation for food videos. Unusually for him, Bruce had peaceful dreams all night long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please, please dont hesitate to call me out with any criticisms you may have of how i handled this content, and how you think it could be addressed if necessary! hope you enjoyed the chapter 🥰


End file.
